Liquid-crystalline elastomer micropillar array for haptic actuation

Abstract

A new liquid-crystalline elastomer-based micropillar array with pushing properties is obtained by the two-step crosslinking process, where the micropillars are oriented by uniaxial compression before the final curing. This orientation process allows the formation of a two-dimensional prolate polydomain conformation of the polymer backbone and the mesogens, and opens huge opportunities for the use of liquid-crystalline elastomers in microsystems and haptic applications.